Paulette

Paulette is a feminine given name of French origin. It is a diminutive form of Paul or Pauline, derived from the Latin Paulus, meaning "small" or "humble." The name has been used in French-speaking regions for many generations and has been adopted in other countries as a standalone given name.

Notable people with the name include Paulette Goddard (1905–1990), an American actress known for work with Charlie Chaplin; Paulette Cooper (1926–2015), an American author and activist who wrote about Scientology; and Paulette Jordan (born 1984), an American attorney and politician from Idaho.

In popular culture, a character named Paulette appears in the 2001 film Legally Blonde, where Paulette Bonafonté is a key supporting character portrayed as a hairdresser and ally to the protagonist.

The given name Paulette may appear in various other literary and entertainment works, sometimes used to convey a distinctly French or European sensibility for a character. As a user name or surname, Paulette is far less common but can appear in regional or family naming traditions.

See also: related given names such as Pauline or Paule; variants and diminutives may occur in different languages and cultures.